Long road trip,methods of topping up cash?

[ahbian]

Hi all,

Currently thinking of backpacking in asia for a few months. Had the notion that it is not too safe to move around large amounts of cash, what are the possible non-hassle ways of drawing cash on the road?

 

[Daoyin]

Hi all,

Currently thinking of backpacking in asia for a few months. Had the notion that it is not too safe to move around large amounts of cash, what are the possible non-hassle ways of drawing cash on the road?

You can use your credit card to draw local currency from any ATM with the Cirrus logo. However not every country or ATM has this capability. Another old fashion way is to use Western Union but someone in your home country will have to deposit the money with WU and you have to go to the local office to withdraw - only worth it for larger amounts.

 

[Jukon]

Hi all,

Currently thinking of backpacking in asia for a few months. Had the notion that it is not too safe to move around large amounts of cash, what are the possible non-hassle ways of drawing cash on the road?

May I know which country you are planning to go? Thank.

 

[diver-hloc]

You can use your credit card to draw local currency from any ATM with the Cirrus logo. However not every country or ATM has this capability. Another old fashion way is to use Western Union but someone in your home country will have to deposit the money with WU and you have to go to the local office to withdraw - only worth it for larger amounts.

Agree.... Credit Card ATM would be most easy. But I disagree about not finding ATM machine. Unless you are talking about places high up in the mountains or inside some rain forest..... theres likely a ATM machine in even a small town. Just don't wait till last minute to draw cash when your 'cash supply' is getting low.

 

[LiuLangMao]

check behind your ATM card(any POSB, UOB, DBS etc....) , as long as have the logo , "cirrus", "plus",or "maestro", you just need to look out for ATM machine with the logo, you can draw money from the machine, even singapore is the same. if not rem wrongly....the services charges is min $5, or 1% which ever is higher ...the exchange rate is not that bad also. I always do this when oversea,

Asia cty that I draw money from ATM before are Laos, Cambodia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan,
and in China, I only rem Shanghai some bank can use....other China city I dun quite rem got or not.

 

[senray]

...Unless you are talking about places high up in the mountains or inside some rain forest......

If you're in such a place...I doubt you need lots of cash there too.. bank notes wont help much there..

 

[ahbian]

Thanks for all the responses so far. I guess Atm is the most straight forward way to go. I just have to make sure i top up at strategic places before venturing into the “mountains areas”. Please feel free to share other suggestions and possible blind spots.

May I know which country you are planning to go? Thank.

Gosh, of the top of my head. Cambodia, , thailand, vietnam, china, india, tibet and nepal.

 

[ahbian]

check behind your ATM card(any POSB, UOB, DBS etc....) , as long as have the logo , "cirrus", "plus",or "maestro", you just need to look out for ATM machine with the logo, you can draw money from the machine, even singapore is the same. if not rem wrongly....the services charges is min $5, or 1% which ever is higher ...the exchange rate is not that bad also. I always do this when oversea,

Asia cty that I draw money from ATM before are Laos, Cambodia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan,
and in China, I only rem Shanghai some bank can use....other China city I dun quite rem got or not.

Yah I was wondering about the charges, so thanks for the information. I think this might be my main method.

 

[LiuLangMao]

Thanks for all the responses so far. I guess Atm is the most straight forward way to go. I just have to make sure i top up at strategic places before venturing into the “mountains areas”. Please feel free to share other suggestions and possible blind spots.



Gosh, of the top of my head. Cambodia, , thailand, vietnam, china, india, tibet and nepal.

most of these cty no prob.....except tibet,I dun rem the ATM carries those logo........but that was in 05....so there could be some changes now...

Nepal , went there last year, din withdraw any cash..but I rem seeing the ATM in Kamanthdu carries those logo....

 

[Jukon]

Gosh, of the top of my head. Cambodia, , thailand, vietnam, china, india, tibet and nepal.

I am planing a 2 months China trip, intend to open a bank account there and then request my family to remit money to my China bank account.

 

[texasrs]

drawing cash from credit card would incur interest rates. use ur atm card at a cirrus/plus atm machine, prob need to pay only a service fee and the bank's prevailing xchange rate.